Accra, March 2, GNA – The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is fully committed to galvanising Ghanaians to green the country and take the necessary measures to protect the existing forest cover.
Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, the Minister, gave the assurance in Accra on Tuesday when President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo launched the 2022 edition of the Green Ghana Day, on the theme: “Mobilising for a Greener Future”.
The day, which falls on Friday, June 10, 2022 targets to plant at least 20 million tree seedlings on available sites within communities, on degraded forest reserves and off reserves, parks, roadsides, farmsteads, churches, mosques and schools.
Tree seedlings to be planted include native timber species, shade trees, multi-purpose leguminous trees, ornamentals and fruit trees.
Mr Jinapor said the importance of trees in human lives could not be over-emphasised, hence the reality of the adage: “If the last tree dies, the last man dies.”
“We must, therefore, take our destiny into our own hands and build a greener Ghana for our generation and, indeed, for generations yet unborn,” the Minister said.
He said the Ministry would collaborate with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Parks and Gardens and all relevant government Ministries, Departments and Agencies to make the endeavour successful.
“We also intend to pilot the concept of carbon trading with corporate Ghana with the 2022 edition of Green Ghana,” Mr Jinapor said.
“All of us, from all walks of life, must come together and help build a Green Ghana. The support we are receiving, since the tragic incident at Appiatse in the Western Region, is sufficient proof, if any were needed, that we can pool resources to build the Green Ghana we want by ourselves.”
“We have a moral obligation to protect our forests and, particularly, those of us whose operations impact the environment the most must know that we have a higher obligation in this regard.”
“Mr President, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is fully committed to executing your marching orders, which is to undertake aggressive afforestation and reforestation and galvanise our population to green our nation, while taking all the necessary measures to protect our existing forest cover.”
Mr Jinapor said it was for that reason that the Ministry placed an outright ban on the harvesting, salvaging, processing, auctioning, exporting and importing of Rosewood.
He called for collective action and participation to make Ghana Green again and preserve it for the future.
“Let us join hands to mobilise for a greener future,” Mr Jinapor stated.
Mr Henry Quartey, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, said the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) had selected 3,500 young men and women, of which 1,200 were being trained at the Bondase Military Camp to help enforce the environmental by-laws in the region.
He pledged the RCC’s resolve to restore the biodiversity of mangroves and wetlands in the coastal areas.
The Green Ghana initiative is under the distinguished leadership of the President and formed part of government’s aggressive afforestation programme to restore the lost forest cover of the country and contribute to the global efforts to fight climate change.
It also intends to create enhanced national awareness on the necessity for collective action towards the restoration of degraded landscapes and inculcate in the youth the values of planting and nurturing trees.
GNA